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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26626168">This Changes Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua'>GaeilgeRua</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Marriage, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Marcus Flint is a Good Friend, Ministry of Magic Employee Hermione Granger, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, POV Hermione Granger, Pining, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Roommates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:00:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26626168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident at work in the bowels of the Ministry lands Hermione and her roommate in an unexpected position.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Oliver Wood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Trope Mashup Comp</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>This Changes Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            Anonymous in the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Trope_Mashup_Flash_Fic_Comp">Trope_Mashup_Flash_Fic_Comp</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the Trope Mashup Flash Fiction Comp hosted by QuinTalon in Dumbledore’s Armada Discord. My chosen prompt was Accidental Marriage + Roommates. Many thanks to my alpha/beta, who will remain anonymous until reveals.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This cannot be happening,” Hermione groaned.</p><p>Her roommate chuckled before his Highlander accent met her ears, “Ah, but it is, lass.”</p><p>She glared up at him. “You are not helping.”</p><p>Oliver shrugged. “I don’t see what’s the problem.”</p><p>“It complicates things!” Hermione’s eyes widened as a blush crept up her neck. “I’m sorry, Oliver. I didn’t mean to yell.”</p><p>He walked over to where she stood and pulled her into a hug. “I know, Mi. Would you explain to me why this is a problem?”</p><p>Hermione wrapped her arms around Oliver’s waist and laid her head against his chest. “Well, the reason we ended up as roommates is that neither of us wanted to get married and you didn’t want to leave your flat empty for extended periods of time during Quidditch season.”</p><p>“Don’t forget saving our Galleons,” Oliver added with a wink.</p><p>“True but that’s not my point. We didn’t want to marry anyone and yet here I am fucking that up at work!”</p><p>Oliver raised an eyebrow. It was a rare occasion that Hermione cursed, so he knew she was upset with herself about what had happened.</p><p>“Look at me, Mi,” he said. When she didn’t move, he pulled one of his arms from around her shoulders. Sliding his fingers under her chin, he made her look up at him.</p><p>The sadness in her eyes pulled at his heart.</p><p>Oliver smiled gently down at her. “I don’t think this is as bad as you do, because now neither of us has to worry about marrying someone else as we are already married to each other. Nothing has to change between us now that we are married,” he paused for a moment as he brushed a thumb across her cheek, “unless you want it to.”</p><p>He watched as she swallowed hard and her blush deepened. It looked like he was right, but he wanted to hear it in her own words.</p><p>“Hermione?”</p><p>Her face morphed into anger as she shoved him away. She stormed over to the large, picture window and stared out into the grey drizzle. “Yes, dammit! I know I said I never wanted to marry, but like you, I didn’t think I would ever find the right person—someone who wasn’t after me for my money or war status. But I never anticipated falling in love with my best friend and roommate who couldn’t give one whit about any of that.”</p><p>As silence descended between the two of them, Hermione hung her head in shame. Now that the kneazle was out of the bag, she knew she would have to not only find a new place to live but figure out a way to get the two of them out of the mess she created.</p><p>Hermione jumped as arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She hadn’t heard Oliver move closer to her; for such a big man, he really was rather light on his feet. His chin settling on the top of her curly hair had Hermione clenching her eyes shut.</p><p>“Mi, open your eyes and look at me,” Oliver whispered.</p><p>She hesitated, frightened of what she would see reflected back at her.</p><p>“Hermione,” Oliver said. He tightened his arms around her.</p><p>Biting her lower lip, Hermione took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Looking up to where she could see Oliver’s dark brown eyes above her, she saw the smile on his lips reach his eyes.</p><p>“I wouldn’t be against things changing between us now that we’re married,” he told her.</p><p>Hermione’s eyes widened. “Wait. What?”</p><p>Oliver kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too.”</p><p>“You do?”</p><p>“I do.” She could feel him smile against the top of her head.</p><p>“So my mistake at work isn’t going to be a problem?” Hermione asked as she looked at him hopefully.</p><p>“For us? No, but our parents and friends might be a bit upset that we didn’t tell them,” Oliver pointed out.</p><p>“Yes, but it’s not like we can’t make it up to them later,” Hermione countered.</p><p>Oliver nodded his head. “True.”</p><p>“Speaking of our friends, you know our friends are going to give us shite for this,” she mused.</p><p>“Oh, I have no doubt in that,” Oliver replied. “Marcus is going to tell me ‘I told you so’ because he <i>did</i>. He told me we were going to end up together.”</p><p>Hermione laughed, “He didn’t!”</p><p>Oliver nodded his head. “He did.”</p><p>“Too funny.”</p><p>“I just have one question for you, Mi,” Oliver said as he released her and turned her to face him.</p><p>Hermione looked up at him and asked, “What is it, Ollie?”</p><p>“Will you marry me?”</p><p>She grinned, a chuckle bubbling out of her. “We’ve done this a bit backwards, and really I’m the one that should be asking you since it’s my fault in the first pla—”</p><p>“Hermione?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“You’re rambling, love.”</p><p>“Bad habit of mine.”</p><p>Oliver chuckled, “Which I’m well aware of.”</p><p>Hermione laughed. “You definitely are. And to answer your question, yes.”</p><p>“Good,” Oliver placed his hands on either side of her face and leaned down, “and if you had asked me, my answer would have been yes, too.”</p>
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